Stir up Sunday Recipes

Stir up Sunday is the last Sunday before Advent and the traditional time to bake Christmas puddings, although it's also the time to bake Christmas cakes.

Urban Fruit and Great British Chefs challenged me to make a twist on a traditional Christmas cake. I decided what was needed was a rich spicy Christmas cake without the fuss.

My cake is based on one my mum has baked for us since I was little. I changed the recipe up with a darker sugar for a more caramelised flavour, more mixed spice and I used Urban Fruit. Cheeky Cherry, Blueberry and Blackcurrant and Smashing Strawberry instead of the raisins and sultanas my mum uses.

So how is it faff free?

It's all made in a pot.

The butter is melted with the sugar, fruit and spices, then the flour and eggs are added, before it's poured into a loaf tin. Simple.

The cake sliced beautifully and was moist, spicy and delicious, especially spread with butter. I know, I know, bur I said it was simple, not low calorie.

To celebrate Stir Up Sunday, there's a twitter party this Sunday 23rd November between 2pm – 4pm where you can pose any question you like to @UrbanFruit on Twitter using the hashtag #StirUpSunday. Throw in a question or two or just follow the chat.

Get stirring!

In the mood for more than Christmas cake? Why not spend some time this week making some homemade advent calendars. You can find some inspiration here.

Disclosure: I write for Great British Chef and was asked to promote Stir up Sunday. I was not expected to write a positive review and any opinions expressed are my own.

MIL always makes the Christmas cake and pudding with my daughter, so I always get left out of this tradition :-(. But in the event that I do get to take the reins one stir up Sunday {geddit?} you've curated some great links. And I love Urban Fruit. :-)

I love all these very different recipes. We have a little tradition making this with grandma. Sadly she hasn't been well this year so we'll wait a little longer in case she's out of hospital before xmas.

Thanks for adding the link to my Urban Fruit recipe Jac - I did add a link to all of our posts in mine, but think it's nicer to add individual recipe links, so I may go back to change that now! LOVE your cake too, so fruity and rich, brilliant with butter too! Karen

How I LOVE the idea of "faff free!" That, for me, is this slow-cooker gingerbread cake! It's based on an old Betty Crocker recipe. I pretty well love anything you can bodge in a cooker and leave for an afternoon.

I have lots of great ideas for some stir up sunday backing and then I thought well if I make a christmas cake I can make it a little later because it just wasn't a day I was inspired to bake. Your ideas are great - wish I had a nice cake like this in my kitchen

I love reading comments, so thank you for taking the time to leave one. Unfortunately, I'm bombarded with spam, so I've turned on comment moderation. I'll publish your comments as soon as I can and respond to them. Don't panic, they will disappear when you hit publish. Jac x